Oil well pump



p 24, 1957 w. J. BIELSTEIN 2,807,216

OIL WELL PUMP Filed April 19, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 nor Luv: 62 5 V 50 63 68 64 PRESSl/RE l87 v sauna:

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. 5' W0 fgr ie/sfein, BY v ug Arrow United States Patent OIL WELL PUMP- Walter J. Bielstein, Corpus Christi, Te'x., assigiior, by memo assignments, to Esso Research and Engineering Company, Elizabeth, N. J., a corporation of Delaware Application April 19, 1954, Serial No. 424,219

12 Claims. (Cl. 103- 46) The present invention is directed to an oil well pump. More particularly, the invention is directed to apparatus for pumping fluids from subsurface earth formations. In its more particular aspects, the invention is directed to a fluid operated oil well pump.

The present invention may be briefly described as involving an oil well pump provided with a tubular mandrel adapted to be connected to a tubing in an oil well casing. The tubular mandrel is provided with at least one port communicating fluidly the interior of the mandrel with the exterior of the mandrel. A pressure responsive means, such as a diaphragm is arranged on the mandrel to enclose the port. The tubular mandrel has arranged therein spaced apart first and second ball valves with the port intermediate the spaced apart valves. Slidably mounted on the mandrel below the port is an annular sleeve. A bellows means encloses the diaphragm and is pivotally attached to the mandrel and to the sleeve. Below the bellows means and the slidable sleeve is a biasing means which embraces the mandrel and bears frictionally against the sleeve to urge normally the bellows means into expanded position. Means are provided for pressuring the casing to collapse the bellows and the diaphragm or pressure responsive means and means are provided for releasing pressure from the casing to expand the bellows means.

The present invention contemplates that the pressure responsive means may be a piston arranged on a tubular mandrel which is adapted to be connected to a tubing string. The tubular mandrel is provided with ports and mounted on the mandrel is a pump cylinder in which the piston is adapted to reciprocate. The piston is slidably mounted on the mandrel to compress the spring to pump fluid up the mandrel and the tubing and a biasing means is arranged in the pump cylinder normally urging the piston upwardly for drawing'well fluids into the tubular mandrel through a standing valve mounted in the lower end of the tubular mandrel. An upper standing valve is mounted in the upper end of the tubular mandrel.

The invention will be further illustrated by reference to the drawing in which Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the oil well pump;

Fig. 2 is an illustration of the oil well pump of Fig. 1 arranged in a well tubing and illustrating the operation thereof; and

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a modification of the device of the present invention in which a piston is the pressure responsive means.

Referring now to the drawing and particularly Figs. 1 and 2, in which identical numerals will be employed to designate identical parts, numeral 11 designates an oil well casing which is arranged in a well 12 and which has been cemented in place with cement 13. The casing 11 has a casing seat 14 and the lower end of the casing has been landed and set in an oil producing strata 15 from which production is to be had. The casing 11 has been perforated and is provided with perforations 16 to allow entry of well fluids into the casing. The casing may be set above the oil sand and an open hole completion made.

Arranged on a tubing 17 which extends to the earths surface 18 is a tubular mandrel 19 which is provided with a plurality of ports 20. Enclosing the ports 20 is a diaphragm 21 which may be made up of a suitable deformable material resistant to attack by well fluids. There are many synthetic rubbers on the market which are resistant to oil and hydrocarbons and the diaphragm 21 may suitably be constructed of such materials.

The tubular mandrel 19 carries on its lower end 'a packing member 22 of a well-known type, such as illustrated on page 942 of vol. I of the 1953 Composite Catalog of Oil Field and Pipeline Equipment. The tubular mandrel 19 also is provided with an external shoulder 23 against which the lower end of a pump actuating spring 24 bears frictionally. Slidably mounted on the tubular mandrel 19 and bearing against the upper end of the spring 24 is a slidable sleeve 25 which serves to confine the spring 24.'

Connected to the tubular mandrel 19 above the ports 20 by pivot pins 26 are a plurality of rectangular plate members 27 which make up a bellows means generally indicated by numeral 28. The bellows means 28 are connected by pivot pins 29 and linkages 30 and pivot pins 31 to the slidable, annular sleeve 25. The bellows means 28 encloses the diaphragm 21 and serves to collapse the diaphragm as will be described.

Arranged above and below the ports 20 are first and second ball valves 32 and 33 which are provided respectively with seats 34 and 35.

Arranged on the mandrel 19 above the first valve 32 is an annulus loading valve generally indicated by the numeral 36. This valve is provided with a port 37 communicating with the interior of the mandrel 19, a valve cap 38 covering the port 37, a valve stem 39 attached to the cap 38 and a biasing means or spring 40 enclosing the valve stem and bearing against the cap 38 and a valve housing 41.

It is to be noted that the tubing 17 is connected to the mandrel 19 at point 50 and this may be accomplished by suitable pipe connecting means and the like. The annulus between the casing 11 and the tubing 17 is designated by the letter a.

Referring now to Fig. 2, it will be seen that the device of Fig. 1 is arranged in a casing 11 in the well 12. The tubing 17 is connected by means of suitable wellhead equipment 60 to a well flow line 61 which is provided with a control valve 62. Connected to the casing annulus A is a source of pressure 63 which connects to the casing annulus A by a conduit 64 controlled by valve 68. The source of pressure 63 may be a hydraulic pump, compressor or a high pressure gas system, and the like. A hydraulic pump is prefer-red because with gas or air systems, large volumes would have to be compressed.

Referring-now to Fig. 3 in which identical numerals will be employed to designate identical parts, tubing is arranged in a well casing 11 and extends to the earths surface, not shown. Threadably connected to the lower end of the tubing 80 by means of mating threads 81 is a tubular mandrel 84 which may be of reduced diameter from the tubing 80. Arranged in the mandrel 84 is a top standing valve 85 which comprises a spherical memher which is designed to seat on seat 86.

A pump cylinder 87 is connected to the mandrel 84 at a lower end thereof and slidably mounted in the pump cylinder 87 on the mandrel 84 is a piston member 88 which is biased upwardly by a biasing means, such as a helical coil spring 89, which bears frictionally with its upper end against the piston 88 and with its lower end against the bottom portion of cylinder 87. The mandrel 84 is provided with a plurality of slots 90 by way of which fluid may be drawn into the pump cylinder 87 througgi a lower standing valve 91 which is provided with a seat 2.

The lower end of the mandrel, 84 is provided with a packer 22 of the type referred to supra. The casing 11 has perforations 16 in the formation as has been described with respect'toFigs. l and 2. g Y

The lower end. of. the-tubing 8,9. is provided with an: annulus loading, valve. 93* which is provided with. a seating member 94, desined: to seat in a port 95. The seating, member- 94 has a pin, member 96. which is provided with a spring 97. The annulus loading. valve 93. is provided with afcap 9.8..

The apparatus of the. present. invention works in the following manner:.

In the normal position, the spring or biasing means 24 urges the sleeve 25 upwardly causing the bellows 28 to. assume its. expanded position. Pressure is. then put onthe casing annulus A (which is filled with a fluid having a known density) through the conduit 54. This pressure is sufficient to cause the bellows 2.8 to collapse, overcoming spring 24 and causing the sleeve 25 to slide downwardly on the mandrel 1-9. When the bellows 28 and diaphragm 21 are collapsed, any fluid trapped in the space S is caused to flow through ports 20 and upwardly in the tubular mandrel 1'9 and the tubing 17 by unseating' the valve 32 from seat 34, the valve 62 in flow. line 61 being open. Thereafter the pressure on the annulus A isreleased by either opening valve 68 (annulus unloading valve) or, if a pump is used on the surface, by reversing the stroke and causing spring 24' to urge the bellows 28 to its expanded position. This results in ball valve 32 seating in seat 34 and the ball valve 33 becoming unseated from seat 35 allowing fluid to be drawn from strata 15 through perforations 16 to flow upwardly in the space S, the pumping operation continuing by repetition of the cycle of operation.

The operation of the device of Fig. 3 is similar to that of Figs. 1 and 2. In this instance, however, imposition of pressure on the casing annulus at the surface causes the piston 88 to move downwardly compressing the spring 89. This causes any fluid which is trapped in the space S to be forced through the ports 90, up through the tubular mandrel 84 unseating the valve 35 and then through the tubing 86 to the surface. On release of pressure on the casing annulus, the spring 89 urges the piston 88 upwardly causing fluid to be drawn in by the valve 91 moving oh? the seat 92. The cycle may be repeated to pump the fluid from the formation 15 through the perforations16.

In conducting the operation it is desirable to employ a fluid in the annulus having a pressure gradient approximately the same as the pressure gradient of the producing fluid. This gradient should be controlled to the extent that the gradient of the annulus fluid is never less than the gradient of the produced fluid on the initial operation. The gradient of the static fluid used in transmitting surface pump pressure to the diaphragm can be changed by circulating a fluid of the desired gradient down the tubing, through the annulus loading valve 36 and back to the surface. Thus to actuate the apparatus of the present invention, the annulus is alternately pressured up and the pressure released.

The subsurface diaphragm pump may be either a single or multiple installation, constructed of, but not limited to, deformable or plastic materials, such as plastic, rubber, metal, and the like. The'subsurface pump may be a bellows type of a design similar to crirnped metal bellows use-d in pressure control work. It issometimes desirable that the pumping operation be performed by applying high frequency pulses to the fluid in the annulus.

The foregoing description establishes the process of actuating the pump by applying pressure to the annulus between the tubing and casing and pumping through the tubing. The reverse, that is actuating the pump by pressuring the tubing and pumping through. the casing may be accomplished by the use of suitable auxiliary crossmeans.

4 over apparatus known to the art and/ or by suitable rearrangement of the structure.

It will be apparent from the present invention that other types of valves may replace the ball valves 32 and 33. Also it will be apparent that pressure may be put on the annulus A through the conduit 67 and valve 68 and pressure released from the annulus A by the same In these circumstances the annulus loading valve 36 might be omitted.

The nature and objects of the present invention having been completely described and illustrated, what I wish to claim as new and useful and to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An oil well pump for use in well casing which comprises, in combination, a tubular mandrel adapted to be connected to a tubing in said casing provided with at least one port communicating fluidly the interior with the exterior of the mandrel, at least one diaphragm arranged on said mandrel to enclose said port, spaced apart first and second valves arranged in said mandrel with the port intermediate the first and second valves, an annular sleeve slidably mounted on said mandrel, bellows means enclosing said diaphragm pivotally attached to said mandrel and to said sleeve, and biasing means embracing said mandrel: bearing frictionally against said sleeve normally urging said bellows means into expanded position, said bellows means and. said diaphragm being adapted to be collapsed and expanded on imposing pressure on said casing and releasing'pressure from said casing.

2; An oil well pump for use in well casing which comprises, in combination, a tubular mandrel adapted to be connected to a tubing in said. casing provided with at least one port communicating fluidly the interior with the exterior of the mandrel, at least one diaphragm arranged on said mandrel to enclose said port, spaced apart first and second valves arranged. in said mandrel with the port intermediate the first and second valves, an annular sleeve slidably mounted on said mandrel, bellows means enclosing said diaphragm pivotally attached to said mandrel and to said sleeve, biasing means embracing said mandrel bearing f'rictionally against said sleeve normally urging said bellows means into expanded position, means for pressuring said casing to collapse said bellows means and said diaphragm, and means for releasing pressure from said casing to expand said bellows means.

3. An oil well pump for use in well casing which comprises, in combination, a tubular mandrel adapted to be connected to a tubing in said casing provided with at least one port communicating fluidly the interior with the exterior of the mandrel, a diaphragm arranged on said mandrel to enclose said port, spaced apart first and second valves arranged in said mandrel with the port intermediate the first and second valves, an annular sleeve slidably mounted on said mandrel, bellows means enclosing said diaphragm comprising at least one plate member pivotally attached to said mandrel and to said sleeve, and biasing means embracing said mandrel bearing frictionally against said sleeve normally urging said bellows means,

intoexpanded position, said bellows means and said diaphragm being adapted to be collapsed and expanded on imposing pressure on said casing and releasing pressure from said casing.

4. An oil well pump for use in well casingwhich comprises, in combination, a tubular mandrel adapted to be connected to a tubing in said casing provided with at least one port communicating fluidly the interior with the exterior of themandrel, a diaphragm arranged on said mandrel to enclose said port, spaced apart first and second valves arranged in said mandrel with the port intermediate the first and second. valves, an annular sleeve slidably mounted on said mandrel, bellows means enclosing said diaphragm comprising at least one plate member pivotally attached to said mandrel and to said sleeve, biasing means embracing said mandrel bearing frictionally againstsaid sleeve normally urging said. bellows means into expanded. positiom and packing means carried by said tubular mandrel to seal the annular space between the tubular mandrel and the casing, said bellows means and said diaphragm being adapted to be collapsed and expanded on imposing pressure on said casing and releasing pressure from said casing.

5. A pump in accordance with claim 4 in which the first and second valves are ball valves.

6. A pump in accordance with claim 4 in which the plate member is pivotally attached to the tubular mandrel and to the sleeve by pins and links.

7. A pump in accordance with claim 4 in which the tubular mandrel is provided with valve means above the first valve for introducing fluid from the tubing into the casing.

8. An oil well pump for use in a well casing which comprises, in combination, a tubular mandrel adapted to be connected into a tubing string in said well casing, said mandrel being formed to provide ports fluidly communicating the interior with the exterior of said mandrel, first and second valve means arranged in said tubular mandrel below and above said ports respectively, pressure responsive means positioned on the exterior of said tubular mandrel and enclosing said ports, packing means positioned in said casing below said pressure responsive means in sealing engagement between said casing and said tubular mandrel and forming a mandrel-casing annulus above said packing means, fluid means for alternatingly pressurizing said annulus said pressure responsive means being adapted to operate upon alternatingly pressurizing said mandrel-casing annulus.

9. Apparatus in accordance with claim 8 in which the pressure responsive means includes a diaphragm.

10. Apparatus in accordance with claim 8 in which the pressure responsive means includes a spring biased piston.

11. A pump in accordance with claim 10 in which the first and second valve means are ball valves.

12. A pump in accordance with claim 10 in which means are provided for introducing fluid from the tubing into the casing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,286,926 Parenti June 16, 1942 2,404,524 Norton July 23, 1946 2,486,617 Soberg Nov. 1, 1949 2,626,569 Knudson Jan. 27, 1953 2,630,071 Davis Mar. 3, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 391,283 France Oct. 27, 1908 

